Serious laughs

Joel PettJoel Pett is the Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist of the Lexington Herald-Leader. His work also appears in USA Today.

OK, so we phoned in a phalanx of cartoons last week on visiting royalty, pumped-up petrol prices and a D.C. sex scandal but there were some diamond-in-the-rough sketches. According to Tom Toles, the issue isn't the cost of fuel but foolishness. Nick Anderson spurned the obvious hooker gags for a sobering global perspective. And while many of us churned out milquetoast etiquette jokes (W: "Which fork goes with a 26% approval ratin'?"), Rob Rogers reminded us of the omnipresent peril of an omnipotent presidency. Takes a real pro to turn a no-brainer into something smart. — Joel Pett